


Lost Beifong

by Awluvtardis



Series: Lost Beifong [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: ;), Basically? Lin and Kya raised lin's daughter, F/F, F/M, Gen, but yea im gonna include the earth bending avatar, don't worry im not gonna kill korra, how am I gonna do that?, i don't make the rules, in which the next avatar is involved in, said kid hasnt been seen in years, so now she's a book lover and that's essential, su never knew, this may or may not be part of a nebulous universe, to her character, we saw opal with a book like once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-07 00:11:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18399173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awluvtardis/pseuds/Awluvtardis
Summary: Su just wanted to find her daughter the perfect bracelet for her wedding.She wasn't expecting to find her sister mourning.





	1. Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> this bitch has been in my notes app for almost a year. thought i would clean it up and gift it to yall.

The living room was just as Su remembered it, only now the low table was nearly buried under sheets of paper from the wedding planning. Bolin and Opal deserved the perfect wedding, and their two little ones were excited to hold the rings and throw petals.

Su mulled over her daughter’s outfit for the big day. Her earrings matched her eyes and the necklace her airbending tattoos, and her hair was long enough to use the silver comb for the up do to match the silver metal lacework on the front of the dress, reminiscent of Zaofu’s signature metal neckwear.. All she needed was bracelets to adorn her wrists.

Opal hadn’t found anything she liked, but Su wasn’t about to give up hope. They’d visited every jeweler in the city, but nothing sparked joy in her daughter. Su mulled over her own collection, trying to remember if her daughter had ever shown particular interest in any of her adornments. Her collection wasn’t much, especially not in comparison to the vast Beifong collection, but-

Oh. Oh! The Beifong collection!

Lin transferred most of the excess Beifong belongings to Republic City after Poppy and Lao passed as to keep a better eye on them.

Lin wasn’t a huge fan of jewelry (an understatement), but she cared about tradition enough to never sell any of the family collection. Many of the paintings and statues were on display, but the jewelry would most likely be in a safe somewhere.

Su rose to find her sister. She hadn’t seen her all morning, but her uniform boots and satomobile keys were still by the door so she was at home. Su wasn’t sure exactly where Lin’s room was now, seeing as Huan was staying in what had been Lin’s room when they were children. Su climbed the stairs and headed in the opposite direction from the guest bedrooms and towards her mother's old room. Toph was staying in a guest bedroom on the ground floor, partially because of her age, so it stood to reason that Lin slept in the master bedroom.

Su came to a stop in front of her mother’s old room and knocked softly before opening the door.

She expected to see a room that looked just like her mother’s spartan room with maybe a few more art pieces and maybe a desk for paperwork. What she knew of her no-nonsense sister lent itself to that conclusion.

Instead, she found a bedroom with a plush king-sized bed with royal blue sheets and teal pillows, framed by two nightstands, a jade green couch that looked comfortable enough to nap on, a gorgeous coffee table, and a large wardrobe with a mix of clothing. Scroll-shelves lined one wall, filled with trinkets from all around the world, books on every subject, and scrolls with blue, green, or grey ribbons. Everywhere she looked, she saw a mix of earth kingdom and water tribe artifacts and influenced decor. 

Did Lin live here with someone else? A man from one of the water tribes?

Su left the bedroom, grinning at the idea of teasing Lin about this revelation of hers. She looked to the bedroom just next to the master that Toph used as storage growing up. Maybe lin kept the jewelry in the room closest to where she and this mystery man slept. she opened the door and saw lin sitting on the floor next a bed.

“There you are! I was looking for you, but I-“ Su stopped as her surroundings registered.

The bed Lin was curled up next to had a teal bedspread and many pillows. at the foot of the bed, almost as if put out of the way, yet still important, were stuffed animals: a polar-bear-dog, a penguin seal, and a sky bison. A spot in the middle was devoid of a toy, which she spied in LIn’s lap- a stuffed badgermole. The room was even more of a blend of Earth kingdom and Water tribe than the Master bedroom. Posters adorned the walls for probending teams from years ago and ones for the metal bending academy. Meteorites were arranged on a shelf along with trinkets, books, and scrolls. 

This was the room of a child. One who was a metal bender, but was proud to have parents from both the earth kingdom and the water tribes. 

But this was Lin’s house. And Lin never told her about any kids. Su looked back to her sister, taking in her posture. She was collapsed in on herself, with the badgermole stuffed toy pressed between her thighs and her chest, a framed photo held reverently in one hand, a bottle of firewhiskey in the other, fingers clasped around the neck of the bottle. Lin was hunched over, eyes trained on the photo, but the tenseness of her sister’s posture told her that Lin was waiting for her to speak, as if waiting for accusations.

Su silently sat next to her sister and looked at the photo. it was a teenager, perhaps 14 years old, in a metal bending academy shirt two sizes too big, cable coils on her waist, in midair celebrating a victory against Lin, if the figure in the back with lightly greying black hair wrapped in cables in the background was truly Lin. The girl in the photo was obviously celebrating too early, though, if the slightly blurry jet of water headed right for her was any indication, though the bender responsible was out of frame.

“Who took the photo?”

“Katara. the camera was a birthday gift.”

“For Katara?” Lin sighed and Su realized whose camera it was. The girl.

“Jade wanted to made metal bending scrolls that had illustrations rather than just words waxing poetic about mom, so I bought her camera to help her with the illustrations. She was having trouble getting them right, or even very proportionate, so i got her the camera so she could trace the photos. I was taking the photos until she decided she needed targets.”

“I see she beat you.”

“She was great with metal. Even mom thought so.”

“Did she say that?”

“Once. Then she amended her statement, but she said it.”

“Wow. I see that victory didn’t last long though.”

Lin lightly chuckled, “She wasn’t very happy about it, but Mom and Katara decided it was a cheap shot on Kya’s part.”

Su furrowed her brow. Mom and Katara knowing about this girl made sense, but, “Kya?"

Lin hummed affirmatively, a sad smile gracing her lips. “She may not have seemed the type when we were kids, but Kya made a great mom.”

Su looked at her sister, “Wait, Jade was Kya’s? I thought she was yours?”

Lin looked back at her and raised a single eyebrow, her face deadpan.

Su took a minute before exclaiming, “Holy monkey feathers! You and Kya?”

“Who the fuck do you think made her that betrothal necklace?”

Su’s eyes went round as saucers before she scowled and smacked her sister. “You were engaged and you didn’t tell me?? You had a KID and didn’t tell me?”

“I was thinking about reaching out!”

“Why didn’t you?”

Lin froze, and her face slowly melted from her exasperated expression and she drew back into herself, clutching the photo tighter.

“Lin, what happened?”

Lin drew a fortifying breath and straightened her back. “She was in the metal bending academy under an assumed name. Youngest student there. I already taught her everything I knew, but it’s hard to practice cables in the backyard. We agreed she could go once she finished schooling, so in true beifong fashion, she tested out years ahead. She didn’t need history since Katara and Aang love to tell stories about their escapades, and she helped mom with paperwork so she was ahead in reading and grammar. She was able to talk her way into taking courses consecutively and finished early. She joined the Academy at 15 and advanced quickly.”

Su whistled “Is there anything that kid can’t do?”

Lin chuckled, “She did have her own problems, and many struggles, but she was always able to push through. Sometimes I think she pushed herself to prove she was good by her own merit rather than because of the Beifong name. She didn’t like to use it”

Lin’s thumb stroked the frame before she sighed again. "It’s been 17 years. she was 16 when she went missing.”

“Missing?”

“She was missing for two days before I found her bag behind a dumpster a couple blocks from her usual route home, in the middle of Agni Kai territory. We never were contacted about ransom, so they didn’t take her because of me or Kya.”

“You haven’t seen her since?"

“No. I always asserted that the gang must have taken her, but could never prove it. A few years later, we got a tip on their hideout. When we arrived, the leaders were cow-hog-tied with metal cables, the rest unconscious- some tied up with cables, others encased in rock or ice.”

“Jade?”

“I think she must have done it. They said a prisoner with long black hair took them down, leading the charge of escaped persons. And that she had been held in a platinum cage.”

“Wow.”

“Since then, nothing. I’m not sure if she’s still out there or...”

Silence stretched between the sisters. Lin was staring into space, reminiscing about the past. Su was staring at her lap, unable to imagine what she would do in Lin’s place. She placed a hand on lin’s arm, her eyes wet with tears.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yea.”

They sat there in silence until a figure appeared in the doorway. They looked up, finding Kya standing there, leaning gently into the room, a hand loosely gripping the doorknob.

Lin placed the bottle of fire whisky on the floor and placed her hand on the floor next to her, opposite of where Su was sat. Kya recognized it as an invitation and moved towards them. She dropped to the floor on lin’s other side and wrapped an arm around her partner’s lower back. In turn, Lin laid Kya’s head on her shoulder before letting her hand rest on her thigh. Su made a move to get up, but Lin stopped her a hand on her knee. 

Su was surprised, yet relieved that Lin wanted her to stay, so she settled back next to her sister, shedding a single tear for her sister and the niece she never got to meet.


	2. Women

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect anyone to actually read this but :)

Lin, Su, and Kya descended the stairs an hour later, eyes lightly rimmed with red. As they entered the kitchen, they were ambushed by an excited Opal. 

“There you are Mom! I was wondering where you went! We said we would finalize the bouquets by noon! It’s half past one! ... Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying. Was it about the wedding? We’ve been over this, I’m still your little girl, even if I’m getting married.” She then noticed her aunt Lin and Kya had been crying too, “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

“Long time ago, kid. Nothin’ to see here” Lin ground out, plucking the firewhisky and crystal rocks glass from Kya’s hand, as to pour herself another glass before Kya snatched them back. 

“You’ve had enough, Lin. Sit down at the table and I’ll make you pad thai with marinated steak.”

“Light on the nuts and extra bok choy?”

“You think I’d forget how to make your favorite dish?”

“It’s been ten years, I just thought...” Lin’s face displayed a mix of emotions: gratefulness, adoration, and regret.

“You thought wrong, my oysterclam.” 

Lin rolled her eyes, “That nickname again? Honestly, Kya, it’s as if you’re incapable of making nicknames that make sense.”

“Why oysterclam?” Su inquired, hoping for more material to tease her sister with.

“Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, with a blindingly pure pearlescent heart!” Kya then smirked, her eyes filling with mirth as she turned to face Su, Lin, and a semi-disctacted Opal.

“Kya-“ Lin growled.

“Tastes amazing too.” Her face was absolutely devilish as she looked Lin right in the eye, who, in turn, planted her forehead on the table, groaning.

Su, immediately catching the innuendo, snorted loudly.

Opal looked up from a book (where did it come from? No one knows) and looked at the older women suspiciously before flowing out of the room, re-immersed in the tome.

Su elbowed Lin before getting up as well, circling the island towards Kya, who was getting rice noodles from the cupboard. “What do you need me to do? Also you may want to get more noodles than that- the whole family is here.”

“I’ll need to grab a bigger pot for the noodles then. You can prep the bok choy. It’s in one of the bags in the cooler. Should be enough- I brought enough for days of leftovers. Should feed, what, twelve? four of us old timers, plus four kids and their spouses.”

“Mom’s coming soon... supposedly. So thirteen. Also, Opal and Bolin aren’t married yet.”

“They will be in two weeks.”

Su huffed, returning her focus to chopping and cleaning the detritus off of the vegetable.

Kya pulled the largest pot from the cupboard, filled it with water from the tap, and set it to boil. 

————

“This is amazing Kya! No wonder it’s your favorite Lin.”

Kya lightly blushed, before adding “Don’t forget you helped, Su.” 

“You better have saved some for me! Pad Thai beats swamp grub any day.”

Choruses of “Mom!” and “Grandma Toph!” filled the room, and Opal getting up to greet her grandmother, Kya rising as well to make another bowl.

—————

After dinner, everyone but the Beifong women and Kya went to bed, while they washed dishes (everyone) or raided the liquor cabinet (Toph).

When that task was finished, they moved to the sitting room, each with a finger of firewhiskey. They sat in companionable silence until Opal asked the question burning in her mind.

“Mom? Why were you guys crying?”

Su looked to her daughter, then at Lin.

Lin downed the rest of the firewhiskey, gently placed the glass on the table, and faced her niece. “Today would’ve been my daughters 35th birthday.”

“I have a cousin? You’ve never- wait. Would have?” 

“She went missing when she was 15. Year before Korra arrived in Republic City. Four and a half years later, when Korra was at the South Pole recovering, tip came in on the gang I was sure took her. We raided the place and found them all unconscious and hog tied around the room. I was so sure it was her, but it’s been 16 years since then.”

“Oh what, and that means she’s dead? Honestly Lin, she’s a Beifong.”

“Oh, really, Mom? She’s been alive this whole time and never once came to see her family?”

“Last time I visited, you thought she was out there somewhere!”

“What, do you have proof otherwise? If so I’d love to hear it!”

Toph sighed, and placed her glass on the table. “She asked me not to tell you.”

“She- you've seen her?!“ all eyes were fixed incredulously on the eldest Beifong.

“It was a few years after that whole gang fiasco. Four or five years maybe. She had been traveling, mostly in the earth kingdom. She stayed with me for a few years, made my hut quite a bit nicer using the metal deposits in the nearby hills. Kid’s a genius with metal- much better than you two lily livers.”

“Well where is she now?”

“Not my place to say.”

“NOT YOUR- SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!”

“And my grandkid. She made me swear. But I can tell you she’s traveling. But that’s all you’re gonna get from me.” 

“Is that all you know? She could be in danger!”

“I can see her through the vines, Lin. She’s fine. She has important stuff to do, but she misses you two like hell, ok? She should be back in a few years.” 

Lin got up, carding her fingers through her hair, pacing across the slate floor. 

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Kya asked, her eyes full of hope and hurt as she watched her practically-mother-in-law’s hard to read weathered face.

“Kid doesn’t want you guys to try and go after her before it’s the right time. She knows what she’s doing, sugar princess.”

“You’ll let us know if anything changes? If- if something happens?”

“Yea, yea. Sure. Can’t exactly go help her myself anymore. Can’t walk the distance to the slimy mushroom grove without sitting down.”

Lin’s brow furrowed before turning towards her mother, “How did you get here?”

Toph leaned back into her recliner and placed her hands behind her head: the very image of relaxation. In turn, this made everyone in the room very suspicious. “Got a ride on a badgermole of course!”

Everyone stared at her for a second, before remembering that it was often pointless to question Toph Beifong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far my layout/ prewritten shit consists of these two chapters and two one-shots. I have a nebulous universe in my mind, and I'm shit at getting it onto paper. Basically I'm spoiling y'all with this update so very soon after the original chapter, so don't expect it to update too soon. I have finals coming up so im gonna be busy af (though I may end up writing bc its 'something productive at least', which may or may not be what im doing right now)


	3. Kya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into the breakup of Lin and Tenzin and Jade's... beginnings.

Lin had been a part of her life as long as she could remember. They were very different as kids, but as the oldest female descendants of the Gaang that lived in Republic city, as Uncle Sokka had dubbed the group, they were automatically friends.

Well, technically Suyin was there too, but she was Lin’s baby sister, and the bond between Lin and Kya was already formed by the time she could butt in on their time together. Kya treated Su like a little sister, whereas Lin was a partner.

Lin never wanted to disappoint her mother, so she was at first reticent to join Kya’s daring escapades, but kya pointed out that by exploring the city, she was following her mother’s footsteps.

Lin followed Kya with wide eyes. Kya was only a year or so older than her, but she was still ‘so cool’.

By 15, Kya was restless. Her ideas were getting too daring for Lin, who was studying to enter the academy her mother had started. She spun tales of living on the open ocean, traveling with nothing but her skip. Lin was content to stay in the city. They slowly grew apart until Kya left to search the world for her next adventure.

Part of her missed Lin Republic City, but she was fascinated by what the world had to offer.

They kept sending letters to each other via messenger hawk, but those slowly dwindled over time.

Kya was on Ember Island when the first hawk she’d gotten in a couple months arrived. The last one was from Tenzin, who had complained about Lin’s apparent anger issues. He said that Lin had unfairly broken up with him and completely destroyed one of the beaches on the island after she saw him “meditating” with an air acolyte.

Part of Kya was pleased the two broke up. Tenzin was adamant that Lin marry him, then they would start trying for an army of children. Lin wasn’t about all that, though. It wasn’t children, specifically that lin didn’t want, rather the sheer amount that tenzin wanted, as well as the strain it would put on her job.

The other part of Kya knew that Lin would be torn up over it and didn’t want her partner (in crime, not like that, shut up) to hurt because of her idiot brother.

Kya unfurled the letter and started reading, smiling reflexively at Lin’s familiar handwriting.

 

_Kya,_

_I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but if not, i broke up with tenzin a couple months ago. You always said it wouldn’t work out. Turns out you’re right. I mean, his whole “once we get married we can rebuild the air nation” shtick was certainly a point of contention, but I had thought he would at least tell me if it was such a deal breaker that he’d go make out with some air floozy, and apparently not for the first time._

_But that’s not why I mailed you._

_About a week later, I did something stupid. I got drunk at kwong’s, and went home with some guy. Wasn’t as great as I’d expected (frankly it was sad), but it happened. Now, I’m in a tough spot._

_Kya, I’m pregnant. I’ve been ignoring the subtle change in vibrations, but now it’s too obvious for me to deny it. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to find the guy again, but i can’t do this alone._

_I can’t do this without you._

_Help me, Kya._

_-Lin_

 

Shit.


End file.
